Nathaniel Hamyln

Nationality: 

Canadian

Age:

29

Occupation:

Environmental Analyst

Personal Website:

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Facebook:

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Kennel Name:

Step Up Kennels

Breeds included:

Alaskan huskies

Number of dogs in kennel:

8

Number of years running dogs:

12

How did your kennel get its name?

My kennel name was born out of a philosophy more so than a catchy name. Step up means improving with each season. This does not only refer to the position I place in a race but incorporates all aspects of my team’s life including dog care, kennel environment (quality of life), training schedule and of course the relationship and connection we have with each other. Having a goal to compete with your previous self ensures improvement.

1. The kennel name has nothing to do with the movie series. It’s just an unfortunate/funny coincidence.

How did you get started running dogs?

My parents acquired two Siberian Huskies (Nikkie and Siku) when I was a kid, whom we would hook to a sled on the ice roads around Yellowknife, NT. They were far from leaders, so the road was the best place to mush. My dad would drive ahead in the truck and coax the Siberians to follow. Eventually we added more dogs to the kennel and mixed in Alaskan Huskies. When I was 15, I entered my first race (the Underdog in Yellowknife) and then in the following year ran the River Runner 100 in Whitehorse. It was in Whitehorse that I learned more about the Yukon Quest an my dream to run it one day began. At the time, my mentor, Marcel Marin, founder of the Underdog 100, cemented the dream by sharing stories of the Quest from when he finished in 2005. Fast forward to 2019 when I was 23 years old, I finished the Yukon Quest 1000; a dream come true! I repeated this dream in 2019 which was unreal.

Today I am returning to my roots, living with a small team (8 dogs) and providing the absolute best training and environment that I can for them. It is much harder to keep these standards with a larger kennel. That is one driver of the small kennel arrangement, along with the connection that you develop with your team.

The Yukon Quest has given me so much happiness over the years and I am very excited to be returning this year for another run on the amazing trail with amazing people and dogs.

What do you love most about dog sledding?

I love the lifestyle it affords me to have. Living in the bush, surrounded by wilderness and a slower paced environment. On the runners your problems slip away temporarily. It is relaxing.

Dogs are also amazing athletes, extremely intelligent, and are an absolute joy to train. They honestly are inspirational and training them to their full potential brings me great pride.

Please share any interesting stories or facts about your dogs that will be running in the 2024 race:

One of my all-star athletes is Tara. I bought her from Warren Palfrey around the time I switched from Siberian Huskies to Alaskans. She has run in almost every race I competed in since then, including completing in two Yukon Quests. She is an amazing leader and I hope to have her in the team this year. She is 11 so she will let me know if it’s time to retire or hang on for one more season. I have 5 of her pups in the team, however, so her legacy lives on even if she doesn’t make it to the start line.

Are you a member of any other organizations in sled dog sports?

I am on the Yukon Quest Board of Directors and the Yukon Quest Rules Committee. I also serve as the President of DPSAY (Dog Powered Sports Association of the Yukon).

Why did you enter the 2024 Yukon Quest and what are your goals for the race?

I entered the YQ100 to get back out on the Yukon Quest trail and to create more memories. My goal is to place in the top 3 since I believe in my team’s abilities. I also believe they will be jumping to go at the finish.

Do you listen to music on the trail? If so, what types?

Classic Rock (ACDC, Creedance Clearwater Revival, ZZ Top), Country (old and new; my current go to is Zach Bryan), Rap (NF, Enimen), Newfie Tunes (check out Buddy Wasisname & The Old Fellers).

How did your dogs get their names?

I name my dogs through themes. For example, Ruger, Tikka, Remington and Spruce, Rose and Juniper. It is enjoyable to name dogs and I really enjoy running dogs that were born in my kennel.

Share a quick story about one of your indispensable handlers:

This race is largely self-sufficient and does not require much assistance from handlers. I do have someone to thank, however, for help over this past summer and support going into the training session. Louve Tweddell has helped me immensely. Some of you my have noticed that I was not racing last winter. I took a “break” from mushing with a 50/50 chance of returning to the sport. Through was can be explained loosely as fate, I am back again this year. Louve helped me by giving my team a place to live and train over the summer (after they were returned to me in April) as I did not have the infrastructure to house them. They went to live and work at Wild Adventure Yukon where Louve manages the dog tour operations. She gave me the time I needed to decide what I wanted to do this winter and time to do practical things such as find somewhere to live with the dogs and buy/find gear that I no longer have. I hope to finish the YQ100 and keep traveling down the trail handling for her in the YQ250. It’s great to have a partner in this sport and I am thankful for the support.

Tell us about your favorite volunteer experience on the trail:

One side effect of distance racing is memory loss… as in on the trail you are so tired that you often forget people that you have seen or have helped you, or you think that you hallucinated someone. I have seen Christmas lights in the trees, trail markers going in two directions, Santa Claus and many more imaginative things while spending time on the Yukon Quest trail. So, I want to apologize in advance for not mentioning people that have helped me over the years, there have been so many.

One situation I can remember was in my first 300-mile Yukon Quest. There was a huge hill near the start of the race that had very little snow on it. At the bottom of the hill a volunteer was positioned to catch loose teams. I never lost my team, but I did snap my brake off on the that hill. I was so frazzled at the bottom until the volunteer talked to me. He helped calm me down with a friendly talk and I proceeded on my way. I appreciated that person and all volunteers.

List recent sled dog races and/or your best performances:

Who are your sponsors for 2024?

I am planning to be self-sufficient this winter and currently have no corporate sponsors, but I would like to thank my friends and family for their continued support, and, of course, my brother Zachery Hamlyn for providing me sleds over the years. Zach sleds are the best!